1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cartridge handling mechanism for use in a disk file system to tansfer a cartridge between a player and a carrier and between a stocke and the carrier.
2. Description of the Related Art
A prior art related to the present invention is disclosed in the specification of Japanese patent Laid-Open No. 60-261065 (1985).
The disclosed prior art is a device arranged such that a multiplicity of thin cartridges respectively having disks accommodated therein are automatically transferred between a stocker and a player. More specifically, a multiplicity of cartridges each having grooves respectively formed in both side surfaces thereof are accommodated in a stocker in a state wherein the grooves extend parallel to the direction of movement of a carrier having a means for moving engagement members adapted to draw out or push in a cartridge in the horizontal direction. A player has a device provided near a cartridge inserting and discharging port, the device being adapted to enable positioning grooves and the engagement members to be engaged with each other so that, when a cartridge is inserted into or discharged from the player, the grooves formed on the cartridge and cartridge grooves formed in the player are coincident with each other on straight lines, respectively. The cartridge which has been inserted into the player by the action of the engagement members is pushed out therein to a predetermined position by the operation of the above-described device and then automatically loaded by the operation of a motor provided on the player. When the cartridge is to be discharged, it is automatically ejected and held at a position where it is engaged with the engagement members by the operation of the above-described device.
The above-described prior art includes one type of system which has no automatic cartridge loading device on the player side, that is, the type in which a cartridge is externally pushed into the player. This type of system needs to additionally provide a device having a cartridge pushing means in order to use a player. Accordingly, the production cost is disadvantageously raised by the addition of such a device.